Setting a beautiful table is about much more than just lining up plates and glasses: it’s about creating an atmosphere and setting the tone for a shared moment. At Appart17, our tableware selection in Brussels draws from carefully chosen brands to help you turn every meal into a true scene. Whether you are hosting two people or twelve, here are five atmospheres to inspire you — and the pieces that bring them to life.
1. The casual lunch: lightness and bold colors
A Saturday afternoon, sun streaming through the window, a few friends around the table: this atmosphere calls for lively, unceremonious pieces. Go for bowls and plates in vibrant hues, a crumpled linen tablecloth, and mismatched glasses that you aren’t afraid to show off. The idea isn't to have a perfect match, but to create a table that breathes. A few wildflowers in a pitcher, a cheese board laid out simply — and the scene is set. Browse our home and decoration collection to find the pieces that give off that naturally relaxed character.
2. The romantic dinner: noble materials and soft lighting
For a dinner for two, the table becomes an intimate space. We leave behind loud colors in favor of matte stoneware, blown glass, and gold metal. A single thick candle is often enough where a heavy candelabra would say too much. Choose plates with irregular edges that evoke craftsmanship, cutlery with a substantial feel, and a single-stem flower vase. Minimalism is not about cutting costs — it is a concentration of the care put into the details.
3. The family meal: generosity and resilient tableware
When the family gathers, the table must be worthy of the feast without being untouchable. The designer tableware in Brussels we select includes robust, stackable pieces that can go through the dishwasher without losing their soul. Opt for large thick ceramic serving dishes, generous carafes, and solid cutlery. Harmony here comes from volume and materials — a family of gray stoneware or cream earthenware pieces creates visual coherence without stiffness. Add a thick fabric table runner and small bowls for condiments: a family table is also about hospitality in action.
4. Brunch: a mix of styles and morning softness
Brunch allows for all sorts of mixtures — savory, sweet, delicate ceramics, and wooden boards. It is one of the most free-spirited trendy tableware ideas: you layer textures, you let coffee cups and juice glasses coexist, you place a cake on a raised stand to add height to the composition. At our shop, the Émoi Émoi collection offers pieces with a soft, illustrated aesthetic, perfect for that hour between morning and noon when anything seems possible. A few fresh herbs as decoration, a wooden board as a side tray — and your brunch table becomes a painting.
5. The festive table: brilliance, symmetry, and a celebratory touch
For big occasions — Christmas, a birthday, a promotion to celebrate — the table deserves a more assertive staging. But brilliance does not mean excess. We love the idea of a solid, thick tablecloth on which rest plates with gold rims, a few botanical elements (eucalyptus branches, pinecones), and candles of different heights. Symmetry is reassuring, and little surprises — a handwritten place card, a favor placed on each plate — are enchanting. As a Brussels lifestyle boutique, we offer items that know how to be beautiful without taking themselves too seriously: that might just be the entire definition of a successful lifestyle kitchen boutique in Brussels.
A few principles that span every atmosphere
Whatever atmosphere you choose, three rules guide our way of setting a table: limit colors to two or three tones to keep visual coherence, play with heights to avoid flatness (a candle holder, a raised fruit bowl, a large carafe), and always integrate a natural material — wood, linen, raw ceramic — that anchors the table in something living and warm. The art of the table is not a discipline reserved for high-end interior design houses: it is the attention we show the people we host.
Find our full selection at appart17.be or come discover our pieces in our three shops at Rue des Grands Carmes 11, 15 and 17 in Brussels.
